Overview
Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) is a puzzle-platformer developed by Upper One Games and published by E-Line Media, released in 2014. It was made in collaboration with the Iñupiat community, an Indigenous people of Alaska, and it is built entirely around their culture.
Story and world
You play as Nuna, a young Iñupiat girl, accompanied by an Arctic fox. She sets out to find the source of an endless blizzard threatening her village. The story draws on traditional Iñupiat tales and is narrated in the Iñupiaq language, with subtitles.
As you progress, you unlock short documentaries in which members of the community talk about their culture, their traditions and the stories the game draws on.
Gameplay
You switch between Nuna and the fox, each with their own abilities, to get past obstacles and solve puzzles. The game can also be played by two people locally.
Controller in hand, the gameplay is markedly stiffer than the rest of the game.
Graphics and music
The art direction and the storytelling are gorgeous.
Verdict
Never Alone is short, but you play it more for what it has to say than for what it offers controller in hand.